Thankful Thanksgiving

Growing up, Thanksgiving has traditionally been marked by a large gathering at my parents’ house in Maryland, with a feast of turkey, stuffing, and desserts galore.  One dessert in particular, Mom’s cranberry-apple crisp, has become my emblem for Thanksgiving.  She bakes it in a white Corningware dish that is approximately the size of Africa, and the moment it pops out of the oven, I go to town.

Knowing that I would be away for the holidays, I decided that if I couldn’t be at the traditional celebration, I would bring a piece of the traditional celebration to me.  I called Mom a few weeks ago to get this heirloom of a family recipe, and imagine my surprise when she tells me, “It’s on page 622 of your Jane Brody cookbook.”  So much for the multi-generational story I had cooked up in my head!  Then again, it doesn’t change how good it tastes!

It has been a wonderful whirlwind of a year, filled with good friends, love, strong family ties, and a whole lot of positive people.  Thank you to all of you who are such wonderful influences on my life--I truly am lucky to be surrounded by you.  Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

“Mom’s” Cranberry Apple Crisp
Adapted from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book
3 cups cranberries (1 12-ounce package)
2 large apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced thin
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup all purpose flour, divided
¾ cup rolled oats (regular or quick)
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1. In a large bowl, combine the cranberries, apples, sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of flour. Transfer the mixture into a greased 6 cup shallow baking dish.
2. In the same bowl (no need to wash it), combine the remaining flour, brown sugar, oats, and nuts. Stir in the melted butter or margarine and mix the ingredients well (the mixture should be crumbly). Sprinkle the oat mixture over the fruit mixture.
3. Bake the crisp in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes or until the crisp is lightly browned. Let the crisp stand for 10 minutes before serving.

No-Knead Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
Recipe from The Kitchn
Makes 2 dozen rolls
3/4 cup warm water
1 scant tablespoon active-dry yeast
1 cup (9 ounces) mashed sweet potatoes**
1 cup milk - whole or 2% preferably
1/4 cup unsalted butter - melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl and let stand until the yeast is dissolved. 2. Add the mashed sweet potatoes, the milk, the melted butter, the brown sugar, and the salt. Stir until all ingredients are evenly combined. Add the flour, stirring until a shaggy dough is formed and no more dry flour is visible. This dough will be very sticky.
3. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let stand until doubled in bulk, at least 2 hours or as long as 5 hours. The dough can be used immediately, but it’s easier to work with if you can refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. The dough can also be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
4. When ready to shape the rolls, sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and turn the dough out on top. Sprinkle a little more flour on top and press the dough into a thick disk. Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 24 pieces. Shape into balls and place about 5 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise until the rolls are roughly doubled in size, about 45 minutes in a warm kitchen.
5. About 20 minutes before the rolls are finished rising, preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
6. Remove the cover, brush the top of the rolls with egg yolk, and bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, until they are puffed and toasted brown. Serve warm or room temperature. Rolls are best the first day, but will stay fresh for several days after if stored in an airtight container.

**To make the mashed sweet potatoes, roast a medium-sized (roughly 9 ounce) sweet potato in a 400° oven until completely soft. Strip off the skin and mash.